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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26832217">Blush</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberry_hearts/pseuds/strawberry_hearts'>strawberry_hearts</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Hope's Peak Academy (Dangan Ronpa), Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Cause I Said So, It's never mentioned but Kokichi is trans, Kaede is a bit of a matchmaker lol, Kissing, M/M, Mario Kart, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pining, Rantaro wears makeup and you can fight me on that, Unrequited Love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:42:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,563</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26832217</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberry_hearts/pseuds/strawberry_hearts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rantaro is pining for everyone's favourite ultimate supreme leader. Little does he know, Kaede has a plan.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akamatsu Kaede/Iruma Miu (implied), Amami Rantaro/Oma Kokichi, K1-B0/Saihara Shuichi (Implied)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>70</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Blush</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He was jealous. That much was obvious. Sure, Shuichi and Kokichi weren’t dating, but, the way they were acting made it obvious they were in love. Kaede always reassured him he was overthinking things. </p><p> </p><p>He snuck glances at Kokichi in the middle of classes. At night, he dreamed of a soft hand holding his. He imagined a soft smile, then the same soft lips against his. </p><p> </p><p>It was funny, because, personality-wise, Kokichi was all hard edges and rough statements, but when he was with Rantaro, he seemed to soften just slightly. But, thinking like that would lead to false hope, so, he tried to abandon that thought.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey Taro! You wanna play Mario Kart with me and Shumai tonight?” </p><p> </p><p>“Sure” Rantaro shrugged.</p><p> </p><p>“Kaede! Me, Taro and Shumai are playing Mario Kart in my dorm room tonight! Wanna come with?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I’ll come!” Kaede grinned. </p><p> </p><p>“Awesome! Meet you guys there at 8! C’mon Shumai! I wanna prank Nagi-ho!” Kokichi ran off.</p><p> </p><p>“Kokichi! Wait!” Shuichi chased after Kokichi, in an attempt to stop him. Kaede turned to Rantaro with a smirk.</p><p> </p><p>“You gonna ask him out yet?”</p><p> </p><p>“You know he doesn’t like me back,” Rantaro shook his head.</p><p><br/>“I’m not so sure, Shuichi and I have been talking and he seems to think Kokichi likes you back!”</p><p> </p><p>“Heh, I wish,”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not saying you have to ask him out, I’m just saying I think he likes you back!” </p><p> </p><p>“Kaede, just, give it a rest. I don’t want to get my hopes up,” </p><p> </p><p>“Alright, c’mon, let me help you choose an outfit!” Rantaro shook his head, amused. </p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be fine,”</p><p> </p><p>“You need to look cute for your date!”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not a date though? You and Shuichi will be there,”</p><p> </p><p>“Whatever you say, Rantaro,”</p><p> </p><p>Kaede dragged Rantaro along to the dorms, and pushed him into his own room.</p><p> </p><p>“Just wait here, okay?” Rantaro nodded hesitantly. When Kaede re-entered, she was holding a stack of makeup and a full length mirror. Rantaro raised an eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s that for?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m going to give you a make-over!”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, just, how long is this going to take?”</p><p> </p><p>“Only half an hour to forty-five minutes, let’s do your make-up, then I’ll choose an outfit! I know you have make-up somewhere around here, so do you have some foundation?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, on that shelf,” Rantaro pointed.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks!” Kaede grabbed the foundation and a beauty blender. She quickly applied it and added some blush, then grabbed her eyeshadow palette.</p><p> </p><p>“Why couldn’t I just do it? I can do my own makeup, y’know?” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, but you always do the same stuff! Kokichi will be speechless!”</p><p> </p><p>“...Fine, I better not regret this,” Rantaro closed his eyes, trying not to move as Kaede applied the eyeliner and eyeshadow. </p><p> </p><p>‘You can open your eyes now!” Rantaro looked into the mirror. Kaede did quite a good job. It was a pink ombre, from light to dark. Kaede passed a pink lipgloss towards Rantaro, and he quickly applied it. </p><p> </p><p>“Okay, outfit time!” Kaede quickly ducked into Rantaro’s closet, grabbing a few things off the shelf.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, miss fashionista, what will I be wearing tonight?” Kaede pulled out a blue cropped hoodie and a pink skirt.</p><p> </p><p>“Here you go!’</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t remember owning the top or the skirt, when did you get me that?”</p><p> </p><p>“On your trip to Australia a couple of weeks ago! Miu got them for me but they were a size too big, so I decided to give them to you!”</p><p> </p><p>“Y’know, somehow I doubt that it was just a coincidence,”</p><p> </p><p>“Okaaay, so maybe me and Miu got it for you on purpose, but you’ll look great!”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry Kaede, I trust you,” </p><p> </p><p>“Good! Now get changed!” Kaede quickly headed outside. “Tell me when you’re done!”</p><p> </p><p>Rantaro laughed, then quickly got changed. He looked quickly in the mirror. He always knew Kaede had good taste, but he looked really good. Hopefully she was right and Kokichi did like him back. He doubted it, but the hope had already been planted in his head, and no matter how many times he tried to squish the thought down, to decrease the inevitable heartbreak, it just kept coming back.</p><p> </p><p>“You look amazing Rantaro! You’re sure to sweep Kokichi right off his feet!”</p><p> </p><p>“I doubt that, but thanks anyway,”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>It was 8pm. Rantaro had poured himself a cup of tea, and was making his way to Kokichi’s dorm with Kaede. Kaede enthusiastically knocked on the door.</p><p> </p><p>“Kaede! What’s up!” Shuichi waved.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you two set up to play?” Rantaro asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course we are Taro! What kind of host would I be if I wasn’t?” Kokichi giggled from behind the door. Rantaro internally cursed at himself for blushing. Rantaro and Kaede stepped inside. Rantaro took pride at the audible gasp from Kokichi, whether it was the truth or not. He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks at the way Kokichi’s eyes raked across his body. </p><p> </p><p><em> ‘Dumbass. He flirts with everyone, so don’t put too much thought to it’ </em> He thought to himself. </p><p> </p><p>“You look handsome in that outfit Rantaro! You’re such a pretty boy!” Rantaro laughed nervously to himself at Kokichi’s words. </p><p> </p><p>“Let’s just start playing,” Shuichi said. Rantaro was never more grateful for the detective.</p><p> </p><p>Quickly, everyone selected their own Mii characters. As everyone chose their Karts, Rantaro tried his hardest to ignore the dirty comments made by Kokichi.</p><p> </p><p>“What map do you wanna play?” Kaede asked the boys.</p><p> </p><p>“What about rainbow road?” Kokichi suggested. Shuichi groaned in exasperation.</p><p><br/>“Every single time,”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure,” Rantaro shrugged. Kaede snickered.</p><p> </p><p>“Whipped,” She whispered in his ear teasingly. Rantaro hit her in the arm lightly. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Blue shell! Take that, Shumai!”</p><p> </p><p>“Shit!”</p><p> </p><p>“Haha, I’m in front of you Akamatsu!”</p><p> </p><p>The game was interrupted by Kaede’s phone ringing.</p><p> </p><p>“What is it?” Kaede answered the phone. </p><p> </p><p>“What’s going on?” Rantaro asked after Kaede hung up.</p><p> </p><p>“Shuichi, Miu blew up her lab again, and Kiibo’s powered down. Again. We’re gonna need to pick them up,”</p><p> </p><p>“For fucks sake! It’s Mario Kart night! She couldn’t have done it yesterday?” Kokichi complained.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s fine, we can keep playing together,” Rantaro suggested.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks Taro! You’re my savior!”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it,” Kokichi tackled him in a big hug. </p><p> </p><p>“Let’s get going,” Kaede and Shuichi waved goodbye, then headed off towards the research labs.</p><p> </p><p>“Yay! Now it’s just us!”</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean, Kokichi?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well duh, I wanna kiss you! You just look so handsome in that outfit, with all that pretty makeup!” Kokichi swooned.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah right, definitely,” Rantaro chuckled.</p><p> </p><p>“What? It’s true! I’m not lying for once! You need to know how pretty you are!”</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s just keep playing Mario Kart,” Rantaro stammered slightly. </p><p> </p><p>‘Aww, Taro’s blushing! Could he maybe love me back?” Kokichi gasped. </p><p> </p><p>“Kokichi,” Rantaro warned. He felt like he was going to pass out. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m bored of Mario Kart! Can you paint my nails, Taro?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure, what colour? I’ll get it from my room,” He was glad for a chance to escape and catch his breath.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry about that, I have a shade right here!” Kokichi held out a pastel purple. So much for catching his breath, he supposed.</p><p> </p><p>Kokici held out his hand, and Rantaro breathed in. He painted his classmates nails all the time, it was just a platonic thing. No need to read too deep.</p><p> </p><p>“C’mon Ran-Ran, why are you hesitating? It’s not that big of a deal! If you don’t wanna you can tell me,”</p><p> </p><p>“No, it’s not that,” </p><p> </p><p>“So you do have a crush on me! That’s okay! I like you too Taro!”</p><p> </p><p>“Kokichi,”</p><p> </p><p>“Listen, it’s okay if you don’t want to admit it. And, it’s fine if you don’t believe me, I know I lie a lot, so you don’t trust me. But I’m telling you the truth for once,”</p><p> </p><p>“Fine, yes I like you in a romantic way,” Rantaro ran a hand through his hair.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes! Also, what flavour is your lip gloss?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s strawberry,”</p><p> </p><p>“Can I taste it?”</p><p> </p><p>“I mean, I’d have to go back to my dorm room but-”</p><p> </p><p>“Not what I mean, Taro,” Kokichi tsk’d. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh- Yeah, sure,” He looked away awkwardly as Kokichi crawled onto his lap.</p><p> </p><p>“Taro, I can’t kiss you if you’re looking away from me,” Kokichi pouted. When he imagined kissing Kokichi, he never imagined how awkward it would be. </p><p> </p><p>“Oops, sorry,” Rantaro laughed awkwardly after he accidentally bumped noses with Kokichi. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay Taro! Honestly with looks like those I thought you had lots of experience, but that’s okay, let me help,” Kokichi put a hand on Rantaro’s cheek, and quickly placed a peck on his lips. Rantaro raised a hand to his lips in shock. He could faintly register that Kokichi was giggling. That little shit. </p><p> </p><p>“Hmm, that wasn’t really enough of a taste, can I try again?” Rantaro could barely form a word, so he settled with a nod. </p><p> </p><p>The kiss was by no means perfect, but, it was Kokichi, so at the same time, he didn’t want anything else. After a few seconds, they broke apart for air. </p><p> </p><p>Before he could say anything, there was a buzz from his phone.</p><p>
  <br/>
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</p><p>
  <em> Ka-yay-day: I hope you two had fun ;) </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Avocado man: So I WAS right, you did have some sort of evil scheme </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Ka-yay-say: But did it work? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Avocado man: Yes… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Ka-yay-day: Hell yeah!! </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“So we’re boyfriends now, right, Taro?” Kokichi asked. Rantaro nodded, smiling. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I’d like that,”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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